Adjustable bulkhead



United States Patent [72] Inventor Anthony J. Cnrino Box 277N, RD. 1, Leechburg, Pennsylvania 15656 [21] Appl. No. 696,218

[22] Filed Jan. 8, 1968 [45] Patented Nov. 17, 1970 [54] ADJUSTABLE BULKHEAD so, 1-m 32 Primary Examiner- Drayton E. Hoffman Auorney-Murray & Linkhauer ABSTRACT: This patent discloses an adjustable bulkhead for use in gondola-type railway cars and similar cargo-carrying spaces. According to the invention, there is provided a bulkhead that is readily adjustable to any desired location, so as to minimize the distance between it and the cargo heldby it, and is at the same time not only readily disengageable but also, when held, positioned very securely so as to be able to withstand a stop of great abruptness. This is done by providing sturdy pipes running longitudinally of the cargo space, and means in the nature of a toggle-actuated pipe lock associated with the bulkhead for securing the bulkhead with respect thereto.

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so 76 so 1e '70 58 so 68 a as I as I 64 2 s4 s2 6 42 42- 72 so so so a 7 76 so so 44 8 54 5s Patented Nov. 17, 1970 3,540,383

58 FE 26 58 I l //vv5/v TOR. 4 4 AN mom J. c4 R/NO Attorneys BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to adjustable bulkheads for carrier spaces, and in particular. to adjustable bulkheads for gondolatype railway cars.

2. Description of the Prior Art It is known, for example, from US. Pat. No. 3,112,712 to provide in a gondola-type railway car, in order to divide its cargo space into smaller units corresponding more closely in size to the articles being shipped, a number of movable or adjustable bulkheads extending transversely across the cargo space of said railway car. One shortcoming of such known bulkheads is that, in order to have said bulkhead positioned securely against movement along the length of the railway car, it has been usual to provide members extending along the sides of the railway car that have a number of openings therein, with the bulkhead itself having pins that project into said openings, or members having openings that are intended to be brought into alignment with the other openings so that then pins or the like may be placed through the aligned openings to secure the bulkhead in a particular position. Structures of this kind have the drawback that the bulkhead can be placed only in a discrete number of positions, with the result that the bulkhead is not adjustable to the extent that it may be moved up against an article to be secured thereby and then made fast. It will be desirable, in most instances, to minimize the spacing between the articles contained in the cargo space and the bulkhead, so that in the event of an abrupt stop. the article in the cargo space does not have an opportunity to move for a certain distance without being opposed by the bulkhead, so as to gather momentum before coming into contact therewith. Damage to the article and to the bulkhead is minimized if the space between the article being shipped and the bulkhead is minimized.

Moreover, so far as I am aware, the prior art has not provided a bulkhead that is infinitely adjustable as to its position and, at the same time, so securely held as the adjustable bulkhead of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a structure comprising a plurality of sturdy pipe members running longitudinally of the cargo space and, cooperating therewith, a bulkhead that has pipe lock means encompassing the pipe member and a togglelike or similar apparatus for engaging or disengaging the pipe lock.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A complete understanding ofmy invention may be had from the foregoing and following description thereof, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a railway gondola car provided with the adjustable bulkhead structure of the present invention, certain parts being broken away to save space;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view, partly in section, taken on the line 11- ofFIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an elevation detailed view, in section, taken on the line III-III of FIG. 1, through an adjustable bulkhead in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an elevation detailed view, taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an elevation detailed view, being a side view of the parts shown in FIG. 4 taken on the line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detailed elevation view, partly in section, taken on the line VI-VI of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an elevation view, partly in section, taken on the line VII-VII ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an elevation view, partly in section and partly broken away to save space, corresponding to a side view of parts shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a detailed view of a portion of the equipment shown in FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. I, there is indicated generally a railway gondola car 2 having side walls 4, 6 and end walls 8. I0. Extending between the end walls 8, 10 and the central support members l2, 14 is a plurality of pipe lengths l6, I8, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30. A plurality of adjustable bulkhead members 32 is arranged to be moved along and locked into position with respect to the rails 16-30, inclusive.

As seen in FIG. 2, taken together with FIG. 5, a central support 12 comprises a pair of plates 34, 36, between which there are received, for example, the pipes 16, 20. Dowels 38 and cotter pins 40 secure together the pipes 16, 20 and the plates 34, 36. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these members may be joined in other suitable ways. 7

As shown in FIG. 3, a bulkhead member 32 comprises a pair of face plates 42, a pair of end plates 44, and a plurality of internal supporting I-beams 46 which affords the structure the requisite strength andlightness.

As seen in FIG. 6, the pipes 16-30, inclusive, are joined to the car ends 8, 10 by means of plates 48, dowels 50 and cotter pins 52.

As can be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, each of the adjustable bulkheads 32 further comprises casters 54 engaging the floor 56 of the car 2. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the floor 56 is of wood, and is supported with reference to the car bottom by suitable conventional means (not shown). Moreover, the bulkhead 32 is supported for movement along the pipes I8, 26, 22, and 30 by means of brackets 58 and pin-supported casters 60.

Access to the interior of the bulkhead 32, for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described, is provided by the openings 62 in the face plate 42, the openings 62 being closed by lids 64 supported by bolts 66 and nuts 68.

As best seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, interiorly of the bulkhead 32, there is provided a pair of vertically extensible members 70, 72 that may be extended or retracted by means ofa crank 74 and have, at their extremities remote from the crank 74, joints 76, by means of which they are joined with transversely extending members 78 having end stops 80. Springs 82 surround the members 78, bearing with one end on the member or 72 and with the other end upon a plurality of plates 84 having therein openings to receive the members 78 and other openings to receive the pipe 22 or the like, so as to form a pipe lock. The plates 84 also engage keeper members 86 secured to the bottom plate 44 of the bulkhead member 32; this is best seen in FIG. 9. In the vicinity 88, adequate space is provided so that, when the member 72 is retracted, the plates 84 may extend thereinto without binding against the plate 44.

In operation, the crank 74 is turned to disengage the plates 84 from the pipes I8, 22, etc., and then the adjustable bulkhead 32 is moved into contact with or close proximity to the cargo to be secured. Then, by operation of the crank 74, the plates 84 are caused to engage the pipes I8, 22, etc, thereby fastening the adjustable bulkhead 32 precisely and securely in a desired position. For these operations, access to the crank 74 is had through the opening 62, by sliding to one side the lid 64. The lid 64 serves, when replaced at the end of a manipulation of the crank 74, to prevent unwanted or accidental manipulation thereof.

The adjustable bulkhead structure of the present invention constitutes a substantial advance in the art, in that it makes it possible to position a bulkhead very securely so as to withstand the enormous forces imposed upon it in normal operation of a railway gondola car, and yet this can be done not only at a finite number of prepared positions, as has been usual with adjustable bulkheads secured with pins or the like, but rather at any of a great number of positions. so that the distance between the bulkhead and the cargo may be minimized. Closer proximity to the cargo is obtained, so that in the event of a sudden jolt, the cargo has less space within which to generate kinetic energy, so that the impact upon the bulkhead is lessened. Thus, both the cargo and the bulkhead have less risk of being damaged.

While l have shown and described herein a certain embodiment of my invention, l intend to cover as well any change or modification therein which may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

lclaim:

1. Apparatus for dividing cargo space into units corresponding in length to articles contained therein and securing said articles against longitudinal movement during abrupt acceleration or deceleration, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a first pair of pipe members secured along the sides of said cargo space at the top portion thereof, a second pair of pipe members secured along the sides of said cargo space at the bottom portion thereof, a bulkhead member extending transversely of said cargo space and supported for longitudinal movement on said pipe members, plate-type pipe gripping means carried by said bulkhead at the four corners thereof and having openings therein through which said pipe members pass, and toggle means carried by said bulkhead for actuating said gripping means, said toggle means having a first position in which said gripping means grips said pipe members and a second position in which said gripping means is released from said pipe members to permit the bulkhead to slide along the pipe members.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said bulkhead member comprises a pair of spaced plate members adapted to be brought into contact with said cargo, said cargo space comprising the interior of a railway gondola car.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that each one of said pair of pipe-lock means comprises:

a vertically extending member having first and second ends, said first end being attached to said toggle means whereby said vertically extending member may be moved axially;

a pair of transversely extending members, each having at one end thereof a stop and at an opposite end thereof a connection with said vertically extending member;

first and second pluralities of plates, each plate of said plates having therein a first opening of such dimensions and location with respect to said pipe member passing through it that by tilting of said plate with respect to said pipe member said plate is brought into locking engagement therewith and a second opening of such dimensions and location with respect to said transversely extending member passing therethrough that by change of position of said transversely extending member said plate may be brought into or out of locking engagement with said pipe member; and

first and second compression spring members hearing at first ends thereof upon said vertically extending member and at second ends thereof upon said first and second pluralitics of plate members.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, characterized in that said pipe-lock means are contained within said bulkhead member. 

